Hey Reader,
You know how planning and working on a goal takes your focus, energy and more.
It’s more like you’re choosing how you spend your time.
Most people quit when it gets too tough because the goal they chose isn’t aligned with what their heart wants, but it makes sense.
And it’s not their fault.
In today’s issue, we’ll explore a different way to think about ambition.
We’ll uncover the art of choosing ambitious, inspiring, and achievable goals, and what they do to you.
Let’s dive in.
💭 Who are you becoming through the goal?
Let’s talk about the classic tale of King Midas.
In Greek mythology, he was already wealthy.
But wealth wasn’t enough.
He wanted more gold.
So when he was granted a wish, he asked that everything he touched turn into gold.
His food turned to gold.
His wine turned to gold.
Even his daughter turned into a lifeless golden statue when he embraced her,
He got exactly what he asked for.
They achieved the goal.
But it stripped the life out of everything around him.
The story reminds me of choosing goals without considering what it would feel like to live inside that goal.
🧠 What are you becoming through the suffering?
If you don’t choose your goals carefully, they will choose your values for you.
And you probably won’t like who you become in the process.
Most high performers aren’t literally chasing gold.
They’re chasing numbers, valuations, market share, bigger rooms, and more visibility.
Nothing wrong with that.
But when your goals are only built around external reward, they start rewiring you.
You begin measuring your worth by results.
Every setback feels personal.
You tell yourself, “When this happens, I’ll feel better.”
Then it happens, but you still feel flat.
You don’t feel any spark or any real change.
Because the goal was never about you.
It had no personal weight or internal meaning. It wasn’t tied to who you are, it focused only on how you’ll look.
So when it gets hard, there’s nothing deeper to draw from.
It becomes harder to push through.
Because the goal now feels empty.
❤️ What are you becoming through the process?
Imagine setting a goal that doesn’t just promise a reward…
But demands a bigger version of you.
Not just because of the money, fame, or applause.
But because of who you’ll have to become to pull it off.
When a goal is aligned with your values and driven by curiosity to explore yourself, it feels different.
It stretches you and forces discipline.
It makes you braver in areas where you probably used to play it safe.
Hard days still hit, but they don’t shake you.
Because you can literally feel the uncomfortable experience shaping you.
You can feel yourself expanding, making better decisions, trusting yourself more…
And when the win comes, you don’t feel empty. You know you earned it.
And if you miss?
You don’t feel like a failure.
You know you still got paid in discipline, courage, self-trust, and much more.
The experience of the process and what you’ve become so far will fuel you to try again.
So no matter how hard it is, you’ll find your way back up faster.
🤲 Shape the goal….and let the goal shape you.
If your goals shape who you become, then they can’t just be ambitious.
They have to be personal.
So before you lock in your next move, run it through this framework for a better experience:
- G - Great for me. Ask yourself: aside from the money and other things I stand to gain, what will this build in me? What traits will this force me to develop? If I pull this off, who do I become? If the honest answer doesn’t excite you, it’s the wrong goal.
- O - Opens me up to explore what more I am capable of. Ask yourself: Who will I need to be daily to pull this off? Bolder? Sharper? More disciplined? Will it push me out of my comfort zone? Will it stretch me, or will everything feel familiar? Familiar can get boring and unfulfilling.
- A - Aligns with my values. What will that goal express in you? Impact? Growth? Freedom? Be sure it’s not just vibes or expectations. If nobody could see this win, post about it, or praise it, would I still want it? If the answer is no, it’s possibly just vibes.
- L - Lights me up long term. When you imagine working on the goal for the next three to five years, can you do it without resentment? Will you still feel thrilled regardless of whatever happens? If yes, that must be it.
🎯 How are your goals shaping you?
Look at the goals in front of you.
If you win, do you win at the cost of yourself?
Is this hunger coming from your truth, or from needing to be seen?
When it’s hard, will this path make you stronger or just more tired?
Ambition is powerful.
But aligned ambition is unstoppable.
As John Wooden says: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
Choose your goals wisely.
With appreciation,
Huw
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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